There is a lot to be learned about style from automobile manufacturers. As I’ve been restoring my Piper Arrow I keep looking at my car to see what style points can be transferred to the plane.
A few months ago, when I replaced the windows in my plane, I was able to implement a few of these style points. Like my car, my plane now has black windows in the baggage area, medium-gray windows in the backseat passenger area, and FAA-standard front seat windows and windshield. The windshield, however, is now a very stylish one-piece unit that replaced the dated two-piece unit that the factory put in back in 1977. Additionally, I just purchased window film and an installation kit from Menards, a regional store chain in Wisconsin that’s very similar to Lowe’s and Home Depot.
I wanted to add another style point to the Arrow with a black stripe across the top of my windshield to help keep bright sunlight out of my face. With that goal in mind, I ordered Window Film from Menards and got a product from Gila. I also purchased an install kit and the whole thing came in at about $50 — chump change in the grand scheme of the restoration.
The installation is very easy. You cut a piece of film larger than what you need, place it on your windshield, measure and trim the film, and cut it in half. Then, you install it on the inside of the window according to the directions and the whole project takes less than a half hour.
It looks great and it keeps the sun out of my face. And if you don’t like it, it just peels off!
Looks good, doesn’t it?
